Toyo University right-hander Shota Oba pitched a complete game Saturday as Japan beat the United States 5-2 in Game 4 to win the collegiate all-star series for the first time in 19 meetings on U.S. soil. Japan won a third straight game to go up 3-1 in the five-game series with the final game to be played Sunday. It marked the 15th series victory for Japan, whose previous 14 wins were all at home, in the annual event that started in 1972. Oba, who gave up five runs in 2 2/3 innings in a 7-2 loss in the series opener, held the Americans to five hits at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, a day after Waseda University right-hander Yuki Saito threw six sharp innings to put Japan one win away from the series victory.
